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GEIR Contributes to EU Consultation on Waste Targets

11/09/2013

As the European Commission is reviewing at the moment the targets set in the Waste Framework Directive for the recycling of waste streams, the European Waste Oil Re-refining Industry Association (GEIR) has given its input on targets for waste oils. In the current Directive, at least 50 per cent of all paper, metal, plastic and glass should be either prepared for re-use or recycled. The target is to be achieved by all Member States until 2020, and the European Commission is looking into additional waste streams to receive similar targets.

In anticipation of the revision, GEIR collected earlier this year data from all its members on available waste oils, the collection rates and the utilization of the collected waste oils at national level. Based on the collected information, GEIR developed a contribution to the European Commission’s enquiries, tailored to the waste oil sector. GEIR suggests an EU wide target for the collection of waste oil by 2025.

Inspired by the Spanish Law on Waste Oils (Real Decreto 679/2006), GEIR brought forward a target of 95 per cent of all waste oils to be collected. As a second pillar of this target, GEIR suggests a minimum annual increase of regeneration for all waste oils collected in each Member State. GEIR also suggests a final goal of between 80-90 per cent until 2025. Those EU Member States with low regeneration rates would have to adopt ambitious annual targets to meet the final goal. As the European Commission is also considering maximum targets for the energetic recovery of certain waste streams, GEIR put forward a target of maximum 10 per cent for waste oils, though Member States such as Greece achieve already today lower incineration rates and should be allowed to deviate to lower percentages.

The public consultation was open until 10 September. The European Commission will review all contributions and propose a revised directive in the course of 2013.